I am excited to be writing this message as the newest President of MCDA and I would like to start this year by personally thanking all Past Presidents and volunteers of MCDA. Our organization has grown stronger and bigger over the years and it would not have been possible without these folks. Also, a big thanks to everyone who made last year a success, especially our Immediate Past President Lakeisha Mathews, as well as the Committee Chairs and all volunteers.

Looking back on the past program year, we had many successes to build upon. Both of our spring events were well received. On April 1^st, MCDA held a book signing for Finding Your Federal Job Fit (by co-authors and Past MCDA Presidents, Janet Ruck and Karol Taylor). The event included a tasty brunch and was held at the elegant Johns Hopkins Club. Later in April, MCDA member Karen Chopra (LPC, MCC and NCC) shared her insights on starting your own private practice in a webinar titled Private Practice 101. It was a sold out event and will be available soon on our website (we will send out an announcement when it’s up and running).

Looking to the future, MCDA has a great year ahead. We have a Board of newly elected Officers along with seasoned Chairpersons. Everyone is ready to serve this program year from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. President Elect Bob Hardy has lots of ideas and energy to bring to MCDA. Secretary Shauna Bryce brings leadership experience as a past board member of the National Resume Writers Association and Maria Schaeffer, who has been actively involved with MCDA on many levels, will become our new Treasurer.

In the coming months, please visit www.mdcareers.org to learn about this year’s educational opportunities for continuing education credits, along with networking events to get to know each other better. The highlight of the coming program year will be our 2013 Annual Conference on the evening of April 18 and the day of April 19, 2013 at the Doubletree inColumbia. Professor, author and speaker, Rich Feller, will be our keynote as President of the National Career Development Association. Our theme is Navigating Maryland’s Workforce, Employers and Careers: A Sea of Possibilities.

As an MCDA member, I encourage you to get involved. If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact the appropriate Committee Chair below:

Awards Committee - Raymond Holmes, MCDA.Awards@MDCareers.org

Conference Committee - Paula Brand (President), MCDA.President@MDCareers.org

Credentialing Committee –Rose Howard, MCDA.CEU@MDCareers.org

Legislative and Employer Relations –China Wilson, wilsonchi@trinitydc.edu

Membership Committee –EldaSchwartz, MCDA.Membership@MDCareers.org

Mentoring and Student Outreach –Karen Jones, kdsj4625@gmail.com

National Career Development Month –Michele George, michelegeorge10@yahoo.com

Newsletter –Suja Joseph, MCDA.Newsletter@MDCareers.org

Nominations –Lakeisha Mathews (Immediate Past President), MCDA.PPresident@MDCareers.org

Programming Committee –Bob Hardy (President Elect), MCDA.PElect@MDCareers.org

Public Relations Committee –Karol Taylor (Past President), Public.Relations@MDCareers.org

Website Committee – Amanda Baker (Past President), MCDA.Website@MDCareers.org

In closing, I look forward to serving the MCDA membership in the coming year and hope to work with you as you get more involved to help MCDA grow as an organization. I ask you to continue to support MCDA efforts and share your thoughts on how we can make MCDA even better.

Paula Brand, GCDF, CPRW

MCDA President 2012-2013

MCDA.president@mdcareers.org

P.S. Since I wrote this message two exciting things happened to share: First, MCDA won the Outstanding State Division Award at the National Career Development Association (NCDA) conference inAtlantathis past June. Congrats to Lakeisha Mathews for her leadership which earned this award.

Second, we were able to personalize our facebook URL so now it’s easier to find us at www.facebook.com/MDCareers. I have posted a few pictures from the April book signing and the NCDA conference. Please check out our page, like us and interact with us on FB.

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Calling All Presenters !

Our Program Committee is planning for the coming program year. Are you interested in sharing useful resources, techniques or technology programs?

We are asking for MCDA members who would like to share their expertise to come forward.

Please e-mail Bob Hardy at MCDA.PElect@MDcareers.org if you have a topic or idea you would like to present.

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NCDA Conference

By Marilyn Maze

This year's National Career Development Association (NCDA) Conference in Atlantawas filled with information, relationship building, and fun. This was the largest NCDA conference, and a large group from Marylandattended. Keynote presenter Daniel Seddiqui, author of 50 Jobs in 50 States, One Man’s Journey of Discovery Across America explained how he turned career exploration into an extreme sport. Dr. Angelo Londono-McConnell presented a compelling plea for increased involvement in the social justice aspects of career development.

The Maryland Career Development Association (MCDA) received the Outstanding State Division Award - an award for its accomplishments in the past year. Thanks to Lakiesha's guidance and the dedicated and enthusiastic board, MCDA has made great strides in the past year in developing procedures, revising the website, and expanding our activities.

Several MCDA members were also recognized.

NCDA applauded Janet Wall for winning ACA's Perkins Career Education Award.
Elda Schwartz won the Excellence in Career Development Award for her long-distance
work providing Career Development Facilitator training toKenya.
Ellen Weaver-Paquette, a new MCDA member, became a Fellow of NCDA and won the
Career Development Facilitator Champion Award.
Barbara Suddarth won the Outstanding Career Practitioner’s Award for her work in corporate settings.

Wow!

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This is a paid advertisement.

Career Development Facilitator Instructor

By Ellen Weaver Paquette

Consider becoming an NCDA Career Development Facilitator Instructor, September 24 -27, 2012,Baltimore,MD

Using the brand new CDF curriculum, training will focus upon both the traditional face-to-face format and the hybrid/online version. Successful applicants will receive both the new CDF Student and Instructor training manual and best of all; receive instruction in a small group format.

Instructed by NCDA Fellow and experienced Master Trainer Ellen Weaver Paquette, each student will become familiar with the actual instruction of the curriculum and feel confident to teach it to workforce development staff, college/university career and academic advisement and to diverse populations.

Applications available at http://careerconsultingconcepts.com, the training price will increase in January 2013.

Questions can be directed to ellen@careerconsultingconcepts.com

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Entrepreneurial Career Counselors Benefit from MCDA Webinar

By Trisha Crew

On the evening of April 19, 2012, Karen Chopra presented a webinar titled Private Practice 101: Making the Dream a Reality. All of the attendees gained useful information. Even the most seasoned career counselors, coaches and consultants who operate their own private practice profited from hearing Karen Chopra’s webinar.

Ms. Chopra, LPC, NCC and Master Career Counselor is a successful career consultant, published author, nationally known presenter, and career theorist. I encourage you to check out her web site (www.chopracareers.com) and attend one of her future presentations. If you missed her presentation, below are some of the highlights.

Karen began her seminar by encouraging participants to visualize their ideal career counseling practice. She suggested that practitioners develop a web site fully explaining services, problems addressed and the value of the long-term process of career counseling.

Most significantly, Karen proposed that one’s web site should be written in the first person and focus on: What you believe, how you work, and what processes you will follow.

Karen also covered the fundamentals of operating a business including; bank accounts, phone, confidential dedicated voicemail, office space, insurance, record keeping, policies and procedures.

Of particular interest to me were Karen’s remarks about the evaluation process after each session of career counseling. She recommended garnering immediate feedback from clients and suggested www.talkingcure.com as a site, which may be useful in providing information on outcome measures.

Marketing, always an important aspect of developing a practice, was discussed with specific ideas of how to begin and expand your practice without advertising.

Karen concluded with the following quote: “There are always two ways to evaluate life decisions – the calculus of fear or the calculus of desire. Only one these will guide you toward a happy and fulfilling life.”

Trisha Crew, MA, LCPC, NBCC, is a Master Career Counselor, MCDA Member, and Owner of Comprehensive Career Counseling

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Book Brunch at the Johns Hopkins Club

by Laura M. Robins

What could be better than brunching at the Johns Hopkins Club on a gorgeous, spring Sunday afternoon? Add to that, sharing the sumptuous brunch with remarkable career professionals who have gathered together to celebrate and learn tips and tricks about the Federal job market from the authors of “Find Your Federal Job Fit”- Janet Ruck and Karol Taylor. This event was a “learning brunch” on many levels, and showed the true spirit and mission of MCDA. It began with informal networking among people who were more than willing to share information about anything from the most used career inventory to personal business branding and marketing techniques. Many attendees were strangers at first, but quickly networked, exchanging both contact information and dynamic conversation. A hallmark of MCDA events is the absolute friendliness of the participants; newcomers are always welcomed.

Following the incredible brunch, Janet Ruck and Karol Taylor described the findings of their newest book together. Participants gained a perspective on the “new” federal market and were advised that targeting specific occupations for a successful job search was a must. The philosophy of taking any federal job offer just to “get a foot in the door” was described as ineffective and even harmful as employers want to keep employees in their current positions. Insider tips about adapting a resume to each targeted job, how to network and find hidden federal opportunities were also given.

Since the brunch, I have referred to information found in “Find Your Federal Job Fit”, and also recommended the book to my colleagues in the career field. It is an excellent guide that provides clarity and guidance to the federal employment process skillfully written by two women who have true expertise in this arena. Even if you missed the brunch, when you buy the book you will not miss out on the information provided by this invaluable resource!

Laura M. Robins is a MCDA Member and Career Coordinator / Academic Advisor at the College of Southern Maryland-Prince Frederick Campus

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MCDA Members Create a New Class on Combating Ageism!

Marvin Adams and Anne Hull teamed up to create a professional development course, “Winning Strategies for the 50+ Job Seeker” for career professionals at CEUonestop.com, This online course is a look at the unique issues that older clients face as more and more of them are looking for work. Career professionals will find: information, resources and links to websites that provide insight and tips for dealing with the perceptions, myths and realities of being over 50 and looking for work today.

Many people feel that age is just a state of mind, so there really aren’t any new challenges for the older job seeker. And age discrimination is illegal. So what’s the problem? For people, of any age, a well-defined job search strategy is the key to finding a great job. Yet, many people who have lost jobs after 20+ years are quite lost when it comes to present-day job search tools and strategies. Fold in the assumptions and biases that both older and younger workers hold about people nearing retirement and you have a recipe for conflict and angst.

Career professionals can look at these assumptions/perceptions, and then look at research that provides more accurate facts and data to create their own strategies for coaching older clients. Several reputable organizations have published research dispelling many assumptions such as: low energy, poor health, technology averse or out-of-date skills, to name a few.

Remembering that “perceptions are real,” too many people operate on their own limited knowledge, experience or relationships with older people. Career professionals can help their clients leverage the benefits of a long work experience by reframing them in terms that meet employer’s needs today. Through understanding this generational cohorts’ resiliency, professionals can help them overcome self-limiting beliefs, create tenacious job seeking strategies and become valuable assets of the workforce.

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12 Career Steps for Dummies

By De Jackson

Do you hate being the new kid on the block? Still feeling clueless about career planning? It is challenging to learn all the acronyms, components, players and jobs, but, at some point in time, the focus adventure must begin. Maybe these steps can provide some insight:

1. Attitude

If you walk around feeling negative and helpless, it reflects in your voice, your work projects and maybe even how others interact with you. Stop the “second guessing yourself” habit and replace it with a more positive outlook. Therefore, instead of saying, you are “new”, with a negative attitude; why not just say you are excited about new possibilities? Take a more proactive approach. Meet new people, volunteer for activities. You will soon discover a completely different way of looking at life.

2. Assess your workplace skills

What are you doing to enhance your current skills? When was the last time you took a communication class or volunteered for a workgroup? Ask yourself these questions: “What do you bring to the table? What is going to make you stand out from other employees? What makes YOU more marketable?” I tell others to put themselves in their manager’s shoes for a day. Now there is a wakeup call for you. What do they see when they look at you? What do you want them to see?

3. Learn the agency’s competencies

How are your basic skills: reading, writing, math aptitude, communication, etc?
How well do you work with others?
What leadership or team building skills do you possess?
How resourceful are you?
What personal qualities do you possess? Are you honest; have a sense of integrity?
How is your self-esteem? Do you help others? Can you get along with diverse populations?
Organizational and Time Management skills are always good to have
Do you have strong analytical and decision-making skills?
Are you knowledgeable about the modern technologies required to do your job?
Do you understand the overall programs and processes within the agency?

4. Learn the player

It is important to know who your management line is, such as, their titles and the people who are leaders in the agency.
The more people you know, the more you might be able to network and navigate a career path that is satisfying to you. It really is a combination of what you know, who you know and

how to get where you want to be.

5. Learn to make a good impression – quickly

I sometimes hear people call it the 30-second elevator speech. First impressions can be lasting ones, so have your mental speech ready at all times. Be able to tell someone what your strengths are and be prepared to share them immediately in a in a concise and orderly manner.

6. Be willing to take additional training

Seek out online training which will bring you that 24/7 flexibility

7. Do you have a mentor?

If not, consider it a mandatory career advancement tool. There will be a lot of networking, but it is worth the effort. Try checking with organizations that share your interests and goals.

8. Volunteer

Details, work groups, community events and campaigns are great ways to show you are interested in contributing to your agency. Volunteerism is an excellent opportunity to acquire additional knowledge, skills and abilities. It will definitely add points towards your networking efforts. Being visible is a valuable career tool. You not only need to know your job well to develop your career, you need to have excellent social skills and prove you can be a team member in a variety of circumstances.

9. Keep motivated

Do not allow yourself to be around toxic people. They will soon have you feeling as miserable as they are. Some people really want to change, and they will. On the other hand, you have those who will always talk about changing but never put forth the effort to do it. Be careful- birds of a feather do flock together.

10. Learn to be flexible when handling conflict or frustration

We are human so we will be prone to letting personal emotions get the best of us and letting our stress control the situation. You have to learn coping skills so you do not immediately react to a situation and find a way to detach from your emotions. This will give you time to calm down and think about or listen to a positive solution. It is not always easy to separate your emotions from the situation and be objective but successful people learn their own unique way for doing just that. It is called “emotional intelligence”.

11. Persistence

If you give up on yourself, you will never improve. Failing is part of succeeding. There is not one person who became successful that stopped at failure. In fact, some people say that without failure you cannot succeed. If you do not know where you want to go you will wander around and get lost. So decide where you want to go. Take one-step each day towards your goal, and no matter how many times you fall behind, in the end, you will still be closer than you are right now. Rest along your journey from time to time but never quit moving forward until you reach your goals. Sometimes all we have to do is slow down and think about what it is we want. Most of us are so busy doing we forget to plan. By helping someone else along the way, it can cause us to refocus and get excited again.

12. Once you have your footing, give support and encouragement to others.

De Jackson is a Career Development Counselor for the Social Security Administration. She trains, provides career guidance and is accessible to over 65,000+ employees. She can be reached at - de.jackson@ssa.gov

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Instilling Self-Determination for Goal Achievement

By Susan McGilloway

If students do not acquire the internal self-determination that enables them to overcome the challenges to academic achievement, they run the risk of falling through future employment tracks. President Obama’s college initiative for all does not mean that everyone is four-year academic college material. Everyone, however, has the opportunity to obtain a certificate, short-term job skills course, AA degree, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science according to their individual goals. It is incumbent on those of us working with students in any capacity to support and encourage post-secondary education of some fashion.

One of the most critical insights in working with students is explained through self-determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 2000). SDT presupposes autonomy, competence, and relatedness as basic psychological needs that are present cross-culturally. Autonomy presupposes a high degree of an internal locus of causality and control; competence - a high degree of belief in one’s ability to perform the necessary tasks for goal achievement; relatedness – an adequate perception of relationship to others. The fulfillment of these needs through contextual support provides a firm foundation for the individual to develop the internal motivation and self-regulatory processes necessary for goal achievement.

SDT is a viable motivation theory (e.g. Chirkov, Saskatchewan, Ryan, Kim, Kaplan, 2003; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Haggar & Chatzisarantis, 2011). SDT, rather than focusing on contextual factors alone and the individual’s response proposes a dialectical interchange between the individual’s internal perceptions and contextual self-regulatory strategies. Contexts that thwart the satisfaction of these basic needs interfere with the eventual integration of the value of the external motivation. Ryan & Deci (2000) illustrate this interchange in the Taxonomy of Motivation.

Taxonomy of Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation
Regulatory Styles	Amotivation					Intrinsic Motivation
		External Regulation	Introjection	Identification	Integration

Associated Processes	Perceived non-contingency Low perceived competence Nonrelevance Nonintentionality	Salience of extrinsic rewards or punishments Compliance/ Reactance	Ego involvement Focus on approval from self or others	Conscious valuing of activity Self-endorsement of goals	Hierarchical synthesis of goals Congruence	Interest/Enjoyment Inherent satisfaction

Perceived Locus of Causality	Impersonal	External	Somewhat External	Somewhat Internal	Internal	Internal

Note. Adapted from Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67.

Minority groups are those individuals who are most impacted by marginalization and the thwarting of the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Those in any profession that serves minority groups have the opportunity to ensure that members of these minority populations are given the opportunity to live a productive and sustaining life. By instilling self-determination in individuals, teachers, counselors, coaches (academic and sports), tutors, youth leaders, pastors, parents all will be assisting members of these minority groups to move in the direction of changing their lives. This task is not just the job of career counselors, but all who work with individuals in any capacity. Let us all stand together to eradicate the conditions that cause these minority groups to fall through future employment tracks.

References

Chirkov, V., Saskatchewan, V., Ryan, R.M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 97-110. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97.

Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4) 227-268.

Haggar, M.S. & Chatzisarantis, N.L.D. (2011). Causality orientations moderate the undermining effect of rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 485-489.

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Maryland Career Development Association (MCDA), 915 Russell Ave, Suite B, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

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